Dr. Riedy's Random Thoughts

Please pardon the expression, but “Unsalted food tastes like crap” should have been the real headline for this essay. On the bright side, of course, it is much easier to exercise portion control when meals and snacks are essentially pleasure-free. The two-plus weeks since I went cold turkey and adopted a low/no sodium diet regimen for health reasons seem like two of the longest weeks of my life—I have not touched a saltshaker except to pass it on to others. Nor have I had a potato chip or fried snack product ending in the letter “o”, like Dorito, Frito or Cheeto, over the entire time. Although no one responded to my last essay with cherished family recipes for no and low salt meals, several responses did identify herbs and spices that add zest to otherwise bland food: “Ground pepper, limes, cumin,turmeric and cayenne bring dishes to life and can make any veggies taste sublime.” Other suggestions: lemon, vinegar, garlic, pepper and herbs all add flavor, and try Spike salt free seasonin...

From Andy’s Popcorn Stand to Cold Turkey (One Man’s Journey) Even on one of suburban Chicago’s most stifling—hot and humid—summer evenings, everything was right with this world when the evening included a trip to Andy’s Popcorn Stand. Waiting patiently in line was almost impossible because the aromas were so crazily tantalizing. Andy, the sole proprietor and employee of Andy’s Popcorn kiosk in downtown Naperville, coated every kernel with butter, which made it easy for salt shaken liberally to stick to the popcorn. A little bit of heaven for the princely sum of 15 cents a bag (no extra charge for the bag). Summertime in Chicago also featured ferocious thunderstorms with brilliant flashes of lightning, meaning Andy’s Popcorn Stand would be TKO’D for the evening. Fear not, however. On those evenings I could be found at home, munching on Jay’s (salted, of course) potato chips—courtesy of my mother, who had salted away (pardon the pun) extra bags of chips just for those rainy days. (I c...